Player Buffet: Get em While They're Hot!

The one-week offseason rages on today, as several more prominent players have been signed, traded, and released.
We already talked about the power play by the New England Patriots to bring in both Chad Ochocinco and Fat Albert Haynesworth, but what else has happened around the league today?

-The Reggie Bush era finally ended in New Orleans today, as the Saints traded him away to Miami for undisclosed draft picks and safety Jonathon Amaya. The undersized, overpaid running back finally is taking the pay cut he should have gotten a long time ago, and the Dolphins add a flashy runner to their flashy offense. If they re-sign just one of their current free agent halbacks (Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams), they'll have a decent running game and an excellent punt returner in Bush. All they would need after that to make the status of mediocre would be a quarterback.

-Steve Breaston is reportedly leaving the Arizona Cardinals for the Kansas City Chiefs. This is great for Kansas City and bad for Arizona, who now have one less target for new acquisition Kevin Kolb to throw to. The Chiefs add a legitimate No. 2 receiver alongside all-pro Larry Fitzgerald, and we can expect to see that already formidable Chief offense ramp it up a notch in 2011.

-The long-awaited Kevin Kolb trade has finally gone down. The Philadelphia Eagles receive cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second round draft pick, while the Cardinals get a franchise signal caller...or at least they hope so. They sure paid him like one. (5 years, $63 Million. Not bad for a guy with only 7 starts)

-Vince Young was released by the Tennessee Titans and is now looking for work. Whoo-freakin-who.

-For all you fellow Giants fans out there, Matthias Kiwanuka has been re-signed by the New York Giants. This bodes great for the defense, and bad for the offense. Kiwanuka is a phenomenal defensive asset, but I'm not sure where the cap space is coming from to re-sign Steve Smith, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Kevin Boss. Or any of them for that matter. Uh-oh. Still, it gives New York versatility at end and linebacker and lessens the chance that Osi walking will kill the defense.

-The Giants officially cut Rich Seubert, Shawn Andrews, Shaun O'Hara, and Madison Hedgecock, freeing up extra cap space to sign their top free agents.

-Jets Wildcat QB, kick returner and WR Brad Smith agreed to a deal with the Buffalo Bills today, for 4 years worth $15 million. This is definitely a possible overpayment, especially given that the Bills had almost no need of Brad Smith. Offense is not their problem. He probably gets a little satisfaction going to the Bills, as the Jets have spurned everybody but Santonio Holmes in their pursuit of Nnamdi Asomugha.

-The Saints have reached an agreement with Darren Sproles to replace Reggie Bush. Well done fools...you just replaced one speedy undersized back with another. I guess they saved a little money at least.

-Jason Babin has reached an agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles, ending any Cullen Jenkins/Ray Edwards speculation, and shoring up their already formidable pass rush.

-The agreement of the day was between the Houston Texans and Johnathan Joseph. The Texans had the league's worst pass defense in 2010, and were desperately searching for a way to fix that. In signing Joseph, the Texans might have my vote for the signing of the offseason. This is perfect for them in every imaginable way. Joseph is younger than Nnamdi Asomugha by 3 years, he has more interceptions over the last few seasons (14 vs 11), and he comes at maybe two-thirds Nnamdi's price (5 years for $43 million). The Texans made a beautiful play and will be rewarded.

Their defense now features a top-5 cornerback in Joseph, plus Mario Williams, Brian Cushing, Demeco Ryans, and rookies J.J Watt and Brooks Reed. Combine that defensive squad with their explosive offense, and the Texans are suddenly a Wild Card contender at the very least, and maybe even the favorite in the AFC South. Great job by the Houston front office.

Thats all we have for this free agency update at JZSports, stay tuned tomorrow for what is sure to be another crazy day!

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Star Spangled Storm

The Patriots are starting to look very dangerous for the 2011 season. The team with the NFL's best overall record in 2010 is only getting better, as today they added what could be formidable offensive and defensive pieces.

Fat loser Albert Haynesworthless is getting his best possible chance at redemption by signing with the New England Patriots. Though Haynesworth is a lazy loudmouth, that kind of behavior does not fly on a squad coached by Bill Belichick. Haynesworth will either shut up and play the game, or he will sit, and all he's costing the Patriots is a couple of surplus draft picks. Most importantly, he gets to play alongside one of the most dangerous nose tackles in the NFL in Vince Wilfork. A chance at redemption has been handed to him on a silver platter.

The Patriots also sent a couple of picks to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. Not only does this provide the opinionated and loud Ochocinco with a coach that will set him straight, but it gives Tom Brady his first legitimate No. 1 receiver since Randy Moss was good in 2009.

Watch out for the Patriots this season. They are going to be a tough nut to crack.

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Why Giants Fans Shouldn't be Fretting

If you're a Giants fan, and you're worried about what has gone down the past couple of days...don't be. Seriously.
This one should be a fun read for all you Giants fans out there.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/782121-nfl-free-agency-why-new-york-giants-fans-dont-need-to-panic

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More Free Agent Frenzy!

Sorry for the barrage, but the updates are coming in that fast.

It has been revealed that the remaining stud free agent wide receiver, Sidney Rice, has agreed to a five-year deal worth $41 million, with $18.5 million guaranteed. This is a crushing blow to the Minnesota Vikings, who were very much hoping to retain Rice's services

Seattle now has an extremely formidable receiving corps in place, headed by Rice. The others in this group are Mike Williams, Brandon Stokeley, Golden Tate and John Carlson. Even with mediocre quarterbacks Charlie Whitehurst and Tavaris Jackson under center, the Seahawks are going to have a nasty air attack in 2011.

Another notable signing has been the departure of Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield to the rival Washington Redskins, for a deal reportedly worth $36 million over 6 years. Though this was an expected departure, there is no comfort in the fact that a solid defensive player has joined the defense of a division rival. Look for that match up to be an interesting one in 2011.

A smaller free agent deal that has been agreed to today is the Bruce Gradkowski to Cincinnati deal. Joining the long list of quarterbacks who have moved around this week. Gradkowski will play the mentor role in Cincinnati as the Bengals try to develop rookie Andy Dalton.

Lastly, Paul Posluszny of the Buffalo Bills has left his former team to join the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars. Talk about moving from one bad situation to another!

That's all we have for you right now at JZSports, stay tuned as the free agent avalanche continues!

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Free Agent Update: DeAngelo Williams

Well folks, it happened. DeAngelo Williams has officially re-signed with the Carolina Panthers, making the shrinking offensive free agent pool even smaller.

The running back has signed a 5-year deal worth $43 million, with $21 million in guaranteed money. Talk about a nice payday!

The next expected moves involve Plaxico Burress likely heading to the Giants or Steelers (Talk about deja vu!) and Kevin Kolb heading to the Arizona Cardinals. A possible Kyle Orton-to-Miami trade is in the works as well.

Stay tuned to JZSports as the Free Agent Frenzy continues!!

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Players to be Released Thursday

Here is a Jake Silver Bleacher Report piece on 6 guys in the NFL who will be jobless come Friday. Enjoy.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/780191-nfl-free-agency-2011-albert-haynesworth-and-6-players-who-will-be-cut-this-week

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Santonio Holmes to Remain with Jets

Breaking news; Santonio Holmes has agreed to a 5-year deal worth $50 million sources are saying. More importantly, he is getting $24 million guaranteed. This is both good and bad news for the Jets, as they get to keep their top wide receiver, but they are all but guaranteed to lose Braylon Edwards, Brad Smith and Antonio Cromartie.

There is sure to be language in the contract that allows the New York Jets to recoup bonus money if Holmes accrues 1 more strike and gets a year long suspension. Overall, Jet fans should be celebrating today, the offense is that much more dangerous with Holmes on it.

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Quarterbacks on the Move

Well, we are in the second day of the NFL off season, and business is proceeding at a breakneck pace.With free agency set to begin Friday and the trade floor already open, teams are making big moves to acquire the players they need.

The Tennessee Titans have reportedly reached a deal with the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who is now an unrestricted free agent. The Titans will bring him in to mentor their first round pick, Washington State quarterback Jake Locker. This is a brilliant move by the Tennessee Titans, as Locker is raw and not ready to step out under center right now. The Titans have decided to "Go the Aaron Rodgers Way" and they won't be sorry. Letting promising young quarterbacks sit for a while behind a skilled veteran is good for business.

Speaking of the Seattle Seahawks, they have agreed to a deal with Minnesota Vikings free agent Tavaris Jackson. Jackson is no premiere starter, but nor is he a slouch, and he is certainly more NFL ready than Charlie Whitehurst. This is a good band-aid move by the Seahawks, who are either looking to slowly develop Whitehurst or go for a strong quarterback in the 2012 draft.

Also involving the Minnesota Vikings (This is just one big circle isn't it?), is the first trade of the year. The Washington Redskins are receiving two future sixth-round draft picks in exchange for veteran Donovan McNabb. Why is a possible hall of famer being exchanged for peanuts? Simply because the Washington Redskins have no bargaining power with him; he is leaving either way. Minnesota is getting a sweet deal here, as they now have the crafty McNabb to teach rookie Christian Ponder. That is a win-win for them, as they have a solid veteran to lead their otherwise playoff-caliber squad, and once McNabb is done, Ponder will be far more prepared than if they threw him to the wolves in week 1.

That's all we have for now on player movement. Next on everyone's list of questions, what will happen with Kevin Kolb, Kyle Orton, Carson Palmer and Vince Young? Stay tuned, JZSports will give you those answers!

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THE LOCKOUT IS OVER!

Sorry this is a day late folks, but the news is official: football is back!
The two sides have agreed to a decade-long CBA, meaning we'll all be old before we ever have to deal with this again thankfully.

With that in hand, today starts the most frenzied few weeks of NFL offseason in history. We are compressing a four-month long free agency period into a week, starting camps late, and watching trades happen that should have been on draft day.

-One of the new provisions becomes immediately relevant this week, and that is the new salary cap system. Under the new CBA, each team has a cap of $120 million, but the catch is that they must spend a minimum of 89%, or $107.1 million. That leaves several teams like the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks with over $30 million in unused space, so some guys will be getting big contracts with those clubs. It should be interesting to see how this cap works, after an uncapped year, teams are going to have to change how they do things.

-At long last, there is a rookie wage scale in place. No longer will an unproven draft choice be given an exorbitant amount of cash before he is due. The new deal cuts top rookie contracts by 50%, with top picks receiving 4-year deals with a 5th year team option.These 4-year contracts are eligible for rounds 2-7 as well. Cam Newton, the first pick in this year's draft, is eligible for a 4-year $22.03 million contract. If the Panthers keep him for a fifth year, his salary would be at the average of the top 10 salaries of other quarterbacks, which is far more reasonable.
The best part of the rookie wage scale? No more holdouts. This means idiots in the mold of Jamarcus Russell and Michael Crabtree can no longer sit out for long periods of time, because they lose their first round cap status after August if unsigned.
Even better, if a player goes the Revis route and sits out while under rookie contract, they are prohibited from renegotiating at all. Sweet deal I say.

-Owners have agreed to a 10-12 percent increase in the minimum salary structure. Rookies, for example, would go from $330,000 to $375,000. The increases go to $450,000 for second-year players, $525,000 for third-year players, $600,000 for fourth-year players, $685,000 for players with five-to-seven years of experience, and so on. Players with 10 years or more receive a minimum of $910,000, which is excellent for players in decline that still need money.

-The franchise tag remains unchanged, so don't expect any of the players franchised now or in the future to depart the team that tags them. That little item is here to stay. Logan Mankins, Michael Vick and Vincent Jackson will have to live with being the highest paid players at their positions.

All things considered, I'd say everybody wins with this new deal. Players get the money they wanted, owners get the power they wanted, and rookies are screwed. All is as it should be.
Now,
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!

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Sick Juke Moves

Dante Hall is one agile guy. Its rare that we get to see something this awesome, so make sure you soak it in folks. Don't try this at home, you may break your hips.

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JZ Sports Friday Frenzy

Listen to internet radio with jzsports on Blog Talk Radio

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Wild Sport Stunts

Yeah, you just saw that. If you ever thought stunts like these were impossible, think again! Enjoy these wild acts as the very laws of physics are defied.

These people risk life and limb to entertain us, and for that we thank them.

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Play of the Day

So you're telling me there's a chance... yeah! This is easily the play of the day, despite being posted in 2006. We're reminiscing back to the old days, when lanky Caucasian players made shots like this. He completes a stellar attempt. And for that, we thank you.

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JZ Sports Returns to BlogTalkRadio

Due to a technical problem with the intro music, listeners should fast forward to 4:25 in the episode to hear Zack and Jake begin their rant. Sorry for the inconvenience. Enjoy.

Listen to internet radio with jzsports on Blog Talk Radio

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Ball Girl's RIDICULOUS Catch

This girl is one freakish athlete. They clearly should be paying her to PLAY, because outside of The Matrix, I've never seen a jump like that. Notice the faces of the catcher and left fielder. That outfielder is going to have some nightmares about this one.

Think Space Jam when Charles Barkley gets killed in street ball.

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The Truth Behind Sports Injuries

Enjoy this rather unique illustration. It may be aesthetically pleasing, but it also describes the harsh reality behind sports medicine. No wonder everyone's a cynic. Cheers.

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The God of Dominance

There are few pictures of NBA great Wilt Chamberlain that truly exemplify how tall he was and how dominant he appeared without even stepping on the court. This picture is as close as it gets.

Before his sophomore season at Kansas, Chamberlain allowed photographer Rich Clarkson some personal time to capture his precious moments.

Clarkson's photographs have not only been on the cover of Sports Illustrated 33 times and the pages of Time and Life, he has been in arenas for the most monumental moments in sports history.

It is clear that Clarkson had a tough time revealing how tall the dominant center truly was until he had him sit down and look up with a sparkle in his eye.

A 7'1" behemoth, Chamberlain is the only player ever to average 40 and 50 points in a season and score 100 points in a single game.


He had seven scoring, nine field goal percentage and eleven rebounding titles. He led the league in assists per game with 8.6 during the 1967-1968 season. He also has the highest average assists ever for a center with 4.4.

Truly a God for his time period. While the opposing talent may have been slightly inferiror, he was a man amongst boys.

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The Spot for Sports Betting

When a game lacks an intriguing storyline and is expected to feature a mundane array of arbitrary occurrences, one might yearn some excitement. On the other hand, championship games and finals matches also present a unique opportunity to garner significant winnings.

This is where sports betting comes into play.
Call it human instinct or just a reason to watch a sports event, but either way it's a jaw-dropping experience that features plenty of perspiration. Those who place bets often experience a roller coaster ride that can end in either euphoric happiness or unsolicited anger. While it's a huge risk, there is also worthy rewards that await.

Those who are experienced will enjoy this site. On the other hand, if you're new to the sport of betting, you might want to give the sports picks a moment of your time. Either way it is an enjoyable time with some research and a little luck.

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Cheap Seats Advertisement

With the talent to negotiate prices and pass on the greatest savings on the Internet to its customers, acheapseat.com presents a memorable opportunity for those who love to save money.

Whether you want Avril Lavigne Tickets in order to enjoy her skater girl attitude light up the stage or Jimmy Buffet Tickets because you're a parrothead who loves to escape to his mysterious island, this is the site for you. American Idols Tickets and Barry Manilow Tickets are also available for unique prices, however only one concert can fully eclipse the others.

U2 Concert Tickets are available and should not be wasted. They will undoubtedly have an incredible performance. Don't wait any longer!

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Girls Gone Wild

If only female sports were all this entertaining. The sound effects may be better than the hit itself, but the hit itself is ruthless enough to get you pumped. Enjoy.

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Japan's Craziest Sport

This is why Japan continues to develop at incredible rates. They are willing to take chances. Not only is this sport unique and creative, but the participants seem to be at war. True passion.

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